Category: Environment

We all know we have too much stuff around. Lots of us have forgotten what we have in storage. We’ve all got that box we moved from apartment to apartment without even unpacking. Graham Hill asks, “Why?” He’s more extreme than I am — after all, he trusted strangers from the Internet to design his…

It’s fast-paced, action-packed, and visually stunning. It’s better than “The Avengers”! (Or so I say.) In any case, this is not your average save-the-whales video. P.S. If you think nothing can ever be better than “The Avengers” (and that is a great movie, BTW), you can still feel OK about thinking this is awesome (and…

In a plot so devious and underhanded I’m surprised James Bond hasn’t appeared yet, BP uses a toxic chemical called (ironically) Corexit to make the oil less visible to planes and boats. By using Corexit, BP is able to pretend that it’s cleaning up the oil in record time when it’s actually spreading it throughout the…

India has the second-largest population in the world, but only half of them have access to a toilet. Oy. That means at least 620 million — almost double the population of the United States — must do their business outside in the open. Are you like, “That’s really disgusting and must smell terrible”? Because I’m…

Everyone loves whales, right? The people who take big commercial ships across the ocean do not want to kill whales. And yet they do, by the hundreds. It’s just hard to see the whales until they’re getting sliced up by the massive propellers. A new app combines GPS, crowdsourcing, and traffic control to guide ship…

I first heard about endangered sharks years ago but had no idea how bad things have gotten. Stop-you-in-your-tracks statistics (and cool animations) start at 2:00 and put the issue in perspective. Artists are doing great work to reverse major biases that many of us hold against a really important member of the coral reef community.…

OK, OK. You can’t smoke hemp — well, you can but you’ll just get a headache. But you can build a house with it, make beautiful clothes with it, and improve your health too. It’s a crazy-useful plant that’s good for the environment. George Washington farmed it, but we don’t grow it in the U.S.…

I suppose drastic times really do call for drastic measures. The first part of this short video is full of some startling and important facts. But be sure to stick around for the end, because that’s where things get kind of exciting. Read more: http://upworthy.com/i-dont-think-anyone-told-this-dude-icebergs-flip-over-cause-if-they-did-would-he-live-on-one

While I was watching this, I really couldn’t believe the wave of emotion that came over me. A film this simple, beautiful, and heartbreaking comes along so rarely — and to get its point across, we hardly need to hear a word. http://player.vimeo.com/video/25563376?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=c9ff23&api=1&player_id=vim0 Please share this if you think people should know about this. Read…

You know how your parents used to say, “I don’t want to hear it. Life’s not fair!” when you’d whine about something being unfair? Well, in this case, life really isn’t fair. Let’s work together to turn this around. Read more: http://upworthy.com/being-the-smallest-is-very-bad-in-this-case-it-means-youre-gonna-be-the-first-one-to-drown

These clever inventors are killing two birds — staving off a global energy crisis and solving the problem of having to find an outlet to plug in your cellphone every half-hour — with one stone. OK, one of those birds is bigger than the other. But I repeat: These guys seem set to knock ’em…

Alright, punk, keep your hands where I can see ’em. Just what the hell do you think you’re doing to that wall? Meet an artist who has been doing something so unique, Clorox decided to sponsor him. Read more: http://upworthy.com/i-bet-this-man-has-embarrassed-a-few-police-officers-who-have-tried-to-arrest-hi

Some background: In 1989, the Exxon Valdez ran aground and dumped over 10 million gallons of oil into Alaska’s Prince William Sound. Meanwhile, it looks as though poet T.S. Eliot was pretty close to the mark. “This is the way the world ends: not with a bang but a REALLY awkward phone call.” Read more: http://upworthy.com/these-canadians-seem-to-have-a-better-sense-of-americas-mistakes-than-americans

At first glance, I was all, “Awww cute animals! Charming landscape!” But when I heard what TransCanada is planning to build right through that charming landscape, my reaction was more: Be sure to stick around past 0:46 to see more adorable anim… I mean, to hear about the farmers’ inspiring story of resistance. Seriously though.…